Interesting situation...55 Gallon tank

needytang · 01/22/2007, 11:46 PM

Hello to all,

I have some questions about an unusual setup. I have aquired a purple tang and some live rock from a 180 gallon setup that my ex husband got rid of. I had 40 gallons of the water transfered to a temp tank until I had moved into my new house.

I am moved in.....kinda and I just set up the 55 gallon. I went over and removed the tang all of the water and rocks and brought them to my new house. The water is in and I have added the correct amount of fresh water (due to high salinity from evaporation before transport) and the rest of the water I have added over a 24 hour period with salt of course. I have a nice refractometer (sp?) so the water is finally in a good place of a little above .020.

I did not have a light so I put the flourescent from the old freshwater set up ontop and left it on for about 12 hours. So this is it....the tank has a protein skimmer running on the one end, the temp is good, I put a whisper filter on the back to get rid of rock die off. The tang is doing well and "stuff" is just blooming out all over the rocks.....which were in a reef type set up. I think there are some some anomies, feather dusters etc super small of course.

Basically this is an established tank just in a new spot. This set up should be ok for the short term........money is an issue at the moment and I just wanted some feedback about what anyone has to say about the set up and what they would recommend. I have watched my ex's 180 with 75 gallon sump for some time so it is not like I am jumping in head first........since this is technically established how about adding a few more fish?? Good idea?? I am also nervous for the little things popping up all over the rocks.......I expected algae only. I am not sure why they came about with a regular strip light.........but I like them and I don't want them to just up and die either. Any help would be nice.

Dubbin1 · 01/23/2007, 12:03 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by needytang
I just wanted some feedback about what anyone has to say about the set up and what they would recommend.

Find a bigger home for the tang. A 55g tank is just too small for it.

shag26272 · 01/23/2007, 12:09 AM

I would get rid of it also, with you switching lights like that I would also expect more dieoff from your rocks, I would let it run with no fish for a while do some water changes and then add a clean up crew after a while if you have algae outbreaks, by then you should have an idea on the type of fish you can keep in a 55

needytang · 01/23/2007, 12:10 AM

I do not plan on adding but only 4 other dwarf type fish and of course some kind of a shrimp for this tank. That should follow the inch to fish to water ratio..............I will be adding more live rock in the near future though.

Dubbin1 · 01/23/2007, 12:15 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by needytang
I do not plan on adding but only 4 other dwarf type fish and of course some kind of a shrimp for this tank. That should follow the inch to fish to water ratio..............

That does not matter, the tank is too small for a purple tang.

shag26272 · 01/23/2007, 12:15 AM

well that tang is way to large for that tank even if you go by the inch to gallon ratio, they need alot of swimming room compared to other fish

shag26272 · 01/23/2007, 12:18 AM

also i think the tang would become more agressive in a smaller space with other fish too

needytang · 01/23/2007, 12:37 AM

This fish is doing well his fins are all up, the color is nice and deep, eating, shooting around and hiding in the rocks. This fish mostly hangs in the rocks always has. This fish has been around for 3 years has maintained a normal......average size....and gone through many things including an almost complete tank loss due to a new fish containing ick! We did have a yellow tang at one point with this one (in a 150) the yellow tang was always out and about but this fish really only jumped out of the rocks in defense of his space. I guess other Purples are more active like yellow ones............? If anyone reading this post has a purple tang I would like to know about its habits so I can compare.

shag26272 · 01/23/2007, 12:42 AM

im sure he might be ok for a while but in the wild they live in a pretty large area something like 350 square feet or so these fish grow up to about 10 inches

Dubbin1 · 01/23/2007, 12:43 AM

Well you did ask for recommendations so don't get upset when people give them to you. That tang should be in a 6' + tank to live a long happy life. They can also be very aggressive to its tank mates. Keeping it in a small tank such as a 55g can even make it more aggressive.

needytang · 01/23/2007, 01:05 AM

I am not getting upset............I am trying to add information as people write back. I am well aware that the tank does not have all of the bells and whistles at the moment actually the situation to some established hobbiest will be laughable I am sure. All of the lighting and other supplies were given away by accident in the process of eliminating a 180 150 40 38 and 55 gallon. I suppose I was not expecting so much negativity on this one fish and aspect of the 55 gallon.

shag26272 · 01/23/2007, 01:10 AM

its not about bells and whistles its about the size of the tank, its probably worth a fair amount of money, the best thing to do is try to get credit from your local store that you could invest in some more suitable inhabitants for your size equipment

spleen93 · 01/23/2007, 01:26 AM

Let's leave aside the issue of the tang for a second (though I would also agree that the 55 is probably too small for it in the long run).

What do you plan to do with the tank? Is it going to be a reef tank? You'll probably need to upgrade your lights. Is it going to be a fish only with live rock (FOWLR) tank? Then you're probably OK with your current set up. If you want your rock to do well, you might want to upgrade your lights a bit though you certainly don't need anything really fancy (you could add a few more strip lights or you could go with buying clip on work lights from your local home improvement warehouse and pairing them with 6500K fluorescent bulbs from the same store). We'll assume that your protein skimmer is sized appropriately for your tank.

I would wait a week or two just to confirm that you're not going to have a cycle with the live rock move before adding any more inhabitants though. Keep checking for ammonia and nitrite with test kits (you DO have test kits, right?) - if they remain 0 after 2 wks, count yourself lucky and you can look at adding more stuff. Good luck with the tank!

Spleen

needytang · 01/23/2007, 02:03 AM

The protein skimmer on the tank is a big one I am guessing a 3 gallon since it was more for the 150 gallon. The live rock will be more for fun I suppose than turning it into a reef.....time, money and aggravation. Don't get me wrong though, I love a beautiful tank, but I also know about the work. Test kits I do have and things seem to be good. I do have an RO unit but I did not use it for this water addition due to time factors. The coralife lighting unit was supposed to be with this tank but unfortunately went off with another tank. I am in serious consideration of purchasing the same unit as I am familiar with it. The ideas about making my own light are good suggestions, I am just not as familiar I guess with that. I should add that this particular fish is 3.5 inches in length......I know this because I just held the ruler up to the tank. I picked this fish out when it was super small. I was just reading on some tangs and I realized that some readers may have the impression that this fish is really large......I have to say he will be staying because I will be moving again since this is a flip house, if the fish needs the space (and I have it also) I will do a full tank upgrade with sump then. I am going to have to make decisions here also about putting coral (better for calcium, but stains from algae) or live sand. The bare bottom with sifted sand looks terrible!!! I know for sure I will NOT be putting any of the artificial rocks or dead fan corals in here.......live rock with 265+watt lighting should get me by. I do appreciate everyones input because it helps me think on other dimensions of this tank.

nsreefer · 01/23/2007, 11:02 AM

I don't mean to be rude (and god knows i don't wish to sound like the tang police) but what you are considering doing is animal cruelty. Regardless of it's current size a purple tang is an active fish which needs twice the room you are going to provide it. Without adequate room, it will become stressed and it's growth will be stunted. It's like putting a german sheppard in a kennel made for a chihuahua. We're talking about a fish which in nature actively patrols a territory literally tens of thousands the size of the tank you are putting it in. To do this for your own enjoyment......it is just wrong, but you seem to have your mind made up. I feel sorry for your fish. It's never a good idea to buy a fish whose requirments are going to be met later with a tank upgrade. If you can't properly care for the animal now, leave it where it is. I'm not sure if it's ignorance, or stubborness or a little bit of both, but keep in mind this is a living creature that you are dealing with, who is most certainly not unaware of it's surroundings, and whether or not it is comfortable in them.

Rays · 01/23/2007, 12:14 PM

Don't feel beat up over the "tang police", enjoy it while you can, when it gets larger then make a decision to get a larger tank, or trade for something else. However, I twice tried to keep them in my "55" and they are very aggressive fish, both times I had to bring them back.

cdangel0 · 01/23/2007, 12:48 PM

Man, you guys almost make me afraid to admit to owning a tang.

Why is it when someone asks for help with one thing, and mention having a tang, (almost) everyone jumps on that. Once one person says it, can't the next person just answer the question that was asked?

I am sure she knows her fish, and can tell if it is happy or stressed, and will act responsibly, and appropriately when the time comes to make a decision on what to do with the tang.

I'm not trying to step on anyone's toes, but we do want people to feel free to ask whatever questions they have without the fear of 20 people ganging up on them about something that is really not even an issue (yet).

Anyway...
I would not add anything until you are sure the rock has been fully cured again, you probably had some die off during the move which will probably cause an ammonia spike. I would guess that you would see this in the next couple days (if you're going to get one), then just let the cycle finish out, do the water change, and enjoy your tank.

Good luck with everything.

nano10 · 01/23/2007, 12:58 PM

I have a Sailfin Tang and a Scopas Tang in a 55g and they couldn't be happier. They eat well, swim fine and look great.

barbra · 01/23/2007, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by needytang
I am not getting upset............I am trying to add information as people write back.

I would be upset. It's an understandable reaction to being attacked. It looks like 50% of your total posts on this forum have been defending yourself against the Tang Police.

Let me apologize on behalf on everyone and welcome you. As long as you never use the word "Tang" in another post you will find that most people go out of their way to be helpfull. Please feel free to ask questions in the future and expect better results.

Porkibear · 01/23/2007, 01:07 PM

I agree...you guys are harsh when it comes to "policing" others about ideal tang habitat. True, a 55 gal may be too small for a tang, but at least be "informative" without chastising. Maybe this person was unaware?

Another question is, how big is the tang? If it's small, a 55 gal is still a reasonable sized tank for the tang until it grows a bit larger. Some of the posts are constructive in saying that you can definitely think about trading the fish for a different one that's more suitable for the 55 gal when the tang gets too big for the tank.

To answer your initial question: I think you're fine on the protein skimmer. Lighting is probably your next step if you want corals to grow, but keep your lighting period at a minimum in case of an algae bloom.

I would also be patient in the beginning, and not add any other livestock until the water parameters are stable for at least 2 months. Then I would start slowly adding other inhabitants. Make sure you have a cleaning crew (snails, hermits, etc.) to take care of any undesirable algae growth.

jbittner · 01/23/2007, 01:20 PM

Are you calling a tang in a 55 "animal cruelty". You have got to be kidding me?!?! I cannot believe some of the things I read on here. Every fish we keep is used to being in a large area, so i guess removing fish from their normal enviorment is "animal cruelty". The "Tang Police" are not the end all, be all for tang management. If this were true I would not have had a 9 year old yellow tang in my 55. Put him in if he gets aggessive or paces all the time take him to another home.

nsreefer · 01/23/2007, 01:55 PM

I apologise to needytang. I've asked a mod to delete my post, as I was unduley harsh... I'll chalk it up to waking up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, and too much overtime. I still think that it is too small, but do agree that it will do for now. In the future the tank will need an upgrade, or the fish will need to be traded for something else. I would use caution however, as purple's can be very beligerant, and may harm tankmates. It seems that for a moment I became what i so truly hate..... The Tang Police. Again sorry needytang

Randall_James · 01/23/2007, 02:16 PM

when asking for advice/opinions one should be prepared for just about anything... (even if a 75G is too small for a Purple Tang)

barbra · 01/23/2007, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Randall_James
when asking for advice/opinions one should be prepared for just about anything... (even if a 75G is too small for a Purple Tang)

And when giving advice and opinions one ought to approach it as if they have been at least introduced to the concept of manners and socially polite behavior.

r0bin · 01/23/2007, 02:38 PM

Its too soon to be asking about other fish. Get the tang in there, if its not already, and give it (the fish and the tank) time. With that size tank and that particular fish I would consider not getting any other fish until I upgraded, if you do upgrade. I mean that fish alone is beautiful enough just by itself. WELCOME!

01/22/2007, 11:46 PM	#1
needytang Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Mays Landing Posts: 8	Interesting situation...55 Gallon tank Hello to all, I have some questions about an unusual setup. I have aquired a purple tang and some live rock from a 180 gallon setup that my ex husband got rid of. I had 40 gallons of the water transfered to a temp tank until I had moved into my new house. I am moved in.....kinda and I just set up the 55 gallon. I went over and removed the tang all of the water and rocks and brought them to my new house. The water is in and I have added the correct amount of fresh water (due to high salinity from evaporation before transport) and the rest of the water I have added over a 24 hour period with salt of course. I have a nice refractometer (sp?) so the water is finally in a good place of a little above .020. I did not have a light so I put the flourescent from the old freshwater set up ontop and left it on for about 12 hours. So this is it....the tank has a protein skimmer running on the one end, the temp is good, I put a whisper filter on the back to get rid of rock die off. The tang is doing well and "stuff" is just blooming out all over the rocks.....which were in a reef type set up. I think there are some some anomies, feather dusters etc super small of course. Basically this is an established tank just in a new spot. This set up should be ok for the short term........money is an issue at the moment and I just wanted some feedback about what anyone has to say about the set up and what they would recommend. I have watched my ex's 180 with 75 gallon sump for some time so it is not like I am jumping in head first........since this is technically established how about adding a few more fish?? Good idea?? I am also nervous for the little things popping up all over the rocks.......I expected algae only. I am not sure why they came about with a regular strip light.........but I like them and I don't want them to just up and die either. Any help would be nice.

01/23/2007, 12:09 AM	#3
shag26272 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: New Orleans, LA Posts: 3,088	I would get rid of it also, with you switching lights like that I would also expect more dieoff from your rocks, I would let it run with no fish for a while do some water changes and then add a clean up crew after a while if you have algae outbreaks, by then you should have an idea on the type of fish you can keep in a 55 __________________ .

01/23/2007, 12:15 AM	#6
shag26272 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: New Orleans, LA Posts: 3,088	well that tang is way to large for that tank even if you go by the inch to gallon ratio, they need alot of swimming room compared to other fish __________________ .

01/23/2007, 12:18 AM	#7
shag26272 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: New Orleans, LA Posts: 3,088	also i think the tang would become more agressive in a smaller space with other fish too __________________ .

01/23/2007, 12:42 AM	#9
shag26272 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: New Orleans, LA Posts: 3,088	im sure he might be ok for a while but in the wild they live in a pretty large area something like 350 square feet or so these fish grow up to about 10 inches __________________ .

01/23/2007, 12:10 AM	#4
needytang Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Mays Landing Posts: 8	I do not plan on adding but only 4 other dwarf type fish and of course some kind of a shrimp for this tank. That should follow the inch to fish to water ratio..............I will be adding more live rock in the near future though.

01/23/2007, 12:37 AM	#8
needytang Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Mays Landing Posts: 8	This fish is doing well his fins are all up, the color is nice and deep, eating, shooting around and hiding in the rocks. This fish mostly hangs in the rocks always has. This fish has been around for 3 years has maintained a normal......average size....and gone through many things including an almost complete tank loss due to a new fish containing ick! We did have a yellow tang at one point with this one (in a 150) the yellow tang was always out and about but this fish really only jumped out of the rocks in defense of his space. I guess other Purples are more active like yellow ones............? If anyone reading this post has a purple tang I would like to know about its habits so I can compare.

01/23/2007, 12:43 AM	#10
Dubbin1 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Findlay, Ohio Posts: 11,540	Well you did ask for recommendations so don't get upset when people give them to you. That tang should be in a 6' + tank to live a long happy life. They can also be very aggressive to its tank mates. Keeping it in a small tank such as a 55g can even make it more aggressive.

01/23/2007, 01:05 AM	#11
needytang Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Mays Landing Posts: 8	I am not getting upset............I am trying to add information as people write back. I am well aware that the tank does not have all of the bells and whistles at the moment actually the situation to some established hobbiest will be laughable I am sure. All of the lighting and other supplies were given away by accident in the process of eliminating a 180 150 40 38 and 55 gallon. I suppose I was not expecting so much negativity on this one fish and aspect of the 55 gallon.

01/23/2007, 01:10 AM	#12
shag26272 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: New Orleans, LA Posts: 3,088	its not about bells and whistles its about the size of the tank, its probably worth a fair amount of money, the best thing to do is try to get credit from your local store that you could invest in some more suitable inhabitants for your size equipment __________________ .

01/23/2007, 01:26 AM	#13
spleen93 crabby hermit Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: somewhere at the end of the rainbow Posts: 1,363	Let's leave aside the issue of the tang for a second (though I would also agree that the 55 is probably too small for it in the long run). What do you plan to do with the tank? Is it going to be a reef tank? You'll probably need to upgrade your lights. Is it going to be a fish only with live rock (FOWLR) tank? Then you're probably OK with your current set up. If you want your rock to do well, you might want to upgrade your lights a bit though you certainly don't need anything really fancy (you could add a few more strip lights or you could go with buying clip on work lights from your local home improvement warehouse and pairing them with 6500K fluorescent bulbs from the same store). We'll assume that your protein skimmer is sized appropriately for your tank. I would wait a week or two just to confirm that you're not going to have a cycle with the live rock move before adding any more inhabitants though. Keep checking for ammonia and nitrite with test kits (you DO have test kits, right?) - if they remain 0 after 2 wks, count yourself lucky and you can look at adding more stuff. Good luck with the tank! Spleen __________________ Spleen "Put that in your Mag Drive and smoke it." - jnarowe "Beware of the banter" - mpoletti "Now I know that some things are just out of our control and we should enjoy the good parts as much as we can." - pookstreet

01/23/2007, 02:03 AM	#14
needytang Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Mays Landing Posts: 8	The protein skimmer on the tank is a big one I am guessing a 3 gallon since it was more for the 150 gallon. The live rock will be more for fun I suppose than turning it into a reef.....time, money and aggravation. Don't get me wrong though, I love a beautiful tank, but I also know about the work. Test kits I do have and things seem to be good. I do have an RO unit but I did not use it for this water addition due to time factors. The coralife lighting unit was supposed to be with this tank but unfortunately went off with another tank. I am in serious consideration of purchasing the same unit as I am familiar with it. The ideas about making my own light are good suggestions, I am just not as familiar I guess with that. I should add that this particular fish is 3.5 inches in length......I know this because I just held the ruler up to the tank. I picked this fish out when it was super small. I was just reading on some tangs and I realized that some readers may have the impression that this fish is really large......I have to say he will be staying because I will be moving again since this is a flip house, if the fish needs the space (and I have it also) I will do a full tank upgrade with sump then. I am going to have to make decisions here also about putting coral (better for calcium, but stains from algae) or live sand. The bare bottom with sifted sand looks terrible!!! I know for sure I will NOT be putting any of the artificial rocks or dead fan corals in here.......live rock with 265+watt lighting should get me by. I do appreciate everyones input because it helps me think on other dimensions of this tank.

01/23/2007, 11:02 AM	#15
nsreefer Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Stratford, PEI Posts: 502	I don't mean to be rude (and god knows i don't wish to sound like the tang police) but what you are considering doing is animal cruelty. Regardless of it's current size a purple tang is an active fish which needs twice the room you are going to provide it. Without adequate room, it will become stressed and it's growth will be stunted. It's like putting a german sheppard in a kennel made for a chihuahua. We're talking about a fish which in nature actively patrols a territory literally tens of thousands the size of the tank you are putting it in. To do this for your own enjoyment......it is just wrong, but you seem to have your mind made up. I feel sorry for your fish. It's never a good idea to buy a fish whose requirments are going to be met later with a tank upgrade. If you can't properly care for the animal now, leave it where it is. I'm not sure if it's ignorance, or stubborness or a little bit of both, but keep in mind this is a living creature that you are dealing with, who is most certainly not unaware of it's surroundings, and whether or not it is comfortable in them.

01/23/2007, 12:14 PM	#16
Rays Premium Member Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: Mansfield, Ma Posts: 948	Don't feel beat up over the "tang police", enjoy it while you can, when it gets larger then make a decision to get a larger tank, or trade for something else. However, I twice tried to keep them in my "55" and they are very aggressive fish, both times I had to bring them back. __________________ What! I need this too? Current Tank Info: 90 seahorse, 60 hex seahorse, 55 reef

01/23/2007, 12:48 PM	#17
cdangel0 Moved On Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Delaware Posts: 905	Man, you guys almost make me afraid to admit to owning a tang. Why is it when someone asks for help with one thing, and mention having a tang, (almost) everyone jumps on that. Once one person says it, can't the next person just answer the question that was asked? I am sure she knows her fish, and can tell if it is happy or stressed, and will act responsibly, and appropriately when the time comes to make a decision on what to do with the tang. I'm not trying to step on anyone's toes, but we do want people to feel free to ask whatever questions they have without the fear of 20 people ganging up on them about something that is really not even an issue (yet). Anyway... I would not add anything until you are sure the rock has been fully cured again, you probably had some die off during the move which will probably cause an ammonia spike. I would guess that you would see this in the next couple days (if you're going to get one), then just let the cycle finish out, do the water change, and enjoy your tank. Good luck with everything.

01/23/2007, 12:58 PM	#18
nano10 Moved On Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: south jersey Posts: 620	I have a Sailfin Tang and a Scopas Tang in a 55g and they couldn't be happier. They eat well, swim fine and look great.

01/23/2007, 01:07 PM	#20
Porkibear Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Orange County Posts: 186	I agree...you guys are harsh when it comes to "policing" others about ideal tang habitat. True, a 55 gal may be too small for a tang, but at least be "informative" without chastising. Maybe this person was unaware? Another question is, how big is the tang? If it's small, a 55 gal is still a reasonable sized tank for the tang until it grows a bit larger. Some of the posts are constructive in saying that you can definitely think about trading the fish for a different one that's more suitable for the 55 gal when the tang gets too big for the tank. To answer your initial question: I think you're fine on the protein skimmer. Lighting is probably your next step if you want corals to grow, but keep your lighting period at a minimum in case of an algae bloom. I would also be patient in the beginning, and not add any other livestock until the water parameters are stable for at least 2 months. Then I would start slowly adding other inhabitants. Make sure you have a cleaning crew (snails, hermits, etc.) to take care of any undesirable algae growth.

01/23/2007, 01:20 PM	#21
jbittner Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Humboldt, NE Posts: 1,014	Are you calling a tang in a 55 "animal cruelty". You have got to be kidding me?!?! I cannot believe some of the things I read on here. Every fish we keep is used to being in a large area, so i guess removing fish from their normal enviorment is "animal cruelty". The "Tang Police" are not the end all, be all for tang management. If this were true I would not have had a 9 year old yellow tang in my 55. Put him in if he gets aggessive or paces all the time take him to another home.

01/23/2007, 01:55 PM	#22
nsreefer Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Stratford, PEI Posts: 502	I apologise to needytang. I've asked a mod to delete my post, as I was unduley harsh... I'll chalk it up to waking up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, and too much overtime. I still think that it is too small, but do agree that it will do for now. In the future the tank will need an upgrade, or the fish will need to be traded for something else. I would use caution however, as purple's can be very beligerant, and may harm tankmates. It seems that for a moment I became what i so truly hate..... The Tang Police. Again sorry needytang

01/23/2007, 02:16 PM	#23
Randall_James Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 6,727	when asking for advice/opinions one should be prepared for just about anything... (even if a 75G is too small for a Purple Tang) __________________ "It's a dog eat dog world and I feel like I am wearing milkbone underwear"

01/23/2007, 02:38 PM	#25
r0bin Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Earth Posts: 1,132	Its too soon to be asking about other fish. Get the tang in there, if its not already, and give it (the fish and the tank) time. With that size tank and that particular fish I would consider not getting any other fish until I upgraded, if you do upgrade. I mean that fish alone is beautiful enough just by itself. WELCOME!